Wire-stretcher



' (No Model.)

DCLEAV'ER. WIRE STREGHER.

Patented May 31, '1887.

o-Lnhughpher. washington, D. C.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE..

DAVID OLEAVER, OF LEBANON, KENTUCKY. l

WIRE-STRETCHER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No'. 363,805l dated MayASl,1887.

Application filed December 29, 1886. Serial No.

' first fully described, and then pointed out in the claim.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective View of an improved wirefence, showing the winding, tying, bracing, and keeping attachments.Fig. 2 is a front elevation of thewinding mechanism. Fig. 3 is atransverse section of same, cut through line a: x of Fig. 2. Fig.

4 is a front elevation ot' the post-bracing mechanism. Fig. 5 is a sideelevation of same. Fig. 6 is a perspective View of the fencewire keeper,and Fig. 7 is a similar view ofthe bifurcated or inverted V-shapedfence-wire tie.

Upon the outer face of the end fence-post, A, are securely attachedwinding mechanisms, head-blocks, or windlasses B, a windlass beingprovided for each strand of the fence-wire C. Constructed in theperiphery of the drum a of the windlass are ratchets b. Operating uponthese ratchets is a pawl or stop, c. This pawl (constructed with afeather or tail-piece, 61,'

which loosely rides in a recess formed by the drum-bearings b and b2 atthe sides, and by the ratchet portion of the drum and back plate, e, atthe ends) is provided with a lifting-finger,

. f, projecting outside of the windlass-frame and riding looselyin slotg, cutinto the upper edge of bearing b. This pawl is kept in contactwith the drum-ratchets by its o'wn weight, and automatically rises outof one ratchet-recess and drops into the next as the drum or windlass isturned by means of a wrench applied to square ends h of the drum. In theusual form of wire-fence windlasses the rusting of the pawlpivot,incidental to exposure to the weather, precluded the free working of thepawl on its pivot, and thus great difficulty has been experienced intightening the fence-wires. In

222,894. (No model.)

my improvedl windlass this difficulty is entirely obviated.

A series of bifurcated wire ties, D, of an inverted-V shape, aresecurelylashed or tied to each crossing strand of fence-wire, the hookor loop i, constructed on the upper or angle end,'engaging with one ofthe upper strands, preferably the one next to the top, while the hooksor loops j 0n the two lower extremities of the brace engage withthelowerniost strand. These ties are located at stated and constantintervals with reference to each other, the distance between the sidesof two contiguous braces being equal to the distance between theA twolower ends of each tie, as shown in Fig. l.'

This novel method-of locating and attaching the braces evenlydistributes the bearing strain on the several strands of fence-wire, andwhile adding strength to the fence also admits of the intervening postsbeing located farther from each other than has heretofore been thecustom.

Upon intervening posts, A', are screwed or otherwise fastened keepers E.These keepers are each provided with a slot or passage-way, lc, andenlarged orifice Z. By means of this peculiarly-shaped keeper the wire,while held away from frictional'contact with thepost and supported inits proper location, is left to freely slip forward as it is beingtightened by the windlass, the slot forming a passage-way for thealready-stretched wire to pass into the enlarged orifice prior tofastening the keeper to the post.

Post-braces m m are let in at their upper ends' tothe end or head-blockpost, A, and are located with reference to each other in such a manneras to leave a passage-way for the strands of fence-wire to pass betweenthem, as shown in Figs. l and 4. The lower ends of these brace-posts areseated in metal shoes n n, which are so constructed as to also Vformcaps for small supplemental posts 0 o. Slots p p are also cut into thelower ends of the postbraces, by which connectingor brace rodsfq q aresaddled77 Thebra'cefrods pass' through the post-braces can be put inplace and removed Without having to Withdrawr the rod.

I am aware that head-blocks or windlasses provided with drums havingratchets and pivoted pawls constructed thereupon have heretofore beenused; that single upright Wire braces or ties have heretofore beenWrapped to crossing strands of fence-wires; that staples or otherequivalent devices have been adopted to hold the several strands of wirefence in their proper places, and that post-braces {ittng in metallicshoes located on supplemental posts (the several parts being tiedtogether by abrace-rod) have been used, and are therefore not broadlyclaimed herein; but

' What I do claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

In a wire fence, the combination7 ith the Y i post, of a head-blocksecured thereto and hav- Y DAVID CLEAVER.

Vitnesses:

J. M. BAINS, J. A. BOWMAN.

